Texas Books

The Tequila Worm by Viola Canales is a novel about a young girl named Sofia and her journy to get into Saint Luke's Epscopal School in Austin. Sofia lives with her mother her father and her sister Lucy. She lives across the road from her cousin Berta. Sofia is at the top of her lass academacly but she is not at the top in her social life. She always has to sit at the other end aof the caffateria because she brings tacos everday, while she wants to bring a sandwich to fit in. She enjoys playing soccer and she is very happy when she finds out that her new school has a good soccer team. Her family has great Mexican culture and they take there religion very seriously. Sofia is somewhat emberresed of her culture once she sees what it is like on the other side of her town. She goes trick or treating and sees how much nicer the other houses are. They have heat and they are made of nice white brick. Sofia gets a invite to a good school but her and her family have to come up with 400 dollars. This is a lot of money for her family but she wants to go to experience something new and see what the world has to offer. I personaly liked this book. It was full of funny stories and it kept me entertaind while i was reading it. It helped pass the time when i needed something to do. The book was 199 pages long so it wasn't to long but it wasn't to short. I usually like action books but this book related a lot to real life. It was about a girl about my age, it portrayed her family as a middle class, it showed how kids can be outcast just because of how they look, and how a girl can want what she doesn't have. It also gave me alot more information about the Mexican culture. It showed me how they celebrated there holidays differently than us. For example for haloween the families she went to in her comunity gave her vegitables and other random items while we americans give out candy.
I gave this book a four out of five because even though i would rather a book with action this book kept me entertained the whole time i was reading it. It had some good backround information to set the mood of the story. It also was broken up into good chapters and it told the story of Sofia well. It showed that even a girl from a middle class, almost lower class can make it and get into a good school, and then later get a good education and job. I would recomend this book to a person if they would want to learn about the Mexican culture or if they just want a good book they can read that relates to there everyday life. Also i wouldn't recomend this book to a younger child. They may pick this book out because the cover looks like a little kids book, but it is acutally a little hard to understand all of the information given about the hispanic culture, and the catholic religion. If i had the choice I would deffinality read this book again, and i may even use it as a recource for a school report on the hispanic culture.

This is one of the best books I have read in quite some time. Having grown up in South Texas, I had many Mexican-American friends and I can relate to many of the stories told in this book.

Sofia is coming of age in a very traditional Mexican-American family. The reader will learn about many of these traditions, such as the quinceanera, comadres, cascarones, canicula, and the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos).

This is a very heartwarming book that anyone would enjoy reading.

This story is truly woven rather than written! Canales brings readers into the world of a teenage Mexican-American girl, Sophia, growing up in the barrio with a "mule-kicking" spirit that seems to both imprison her and help her to transcend life's obstacles simultaneously. Sophia is a very intelligent young lady with big dreams of going to Harvard. Her family roots are firmly and deeply entrenched in tradition ~ the reader instantly sympathizes with Sophia's desire to be a "typical" American teen and her quest to both embrace her roots while living in the mainstream.

Sophia blossoms in this book from a teen to a woman intellectually and perhaps most gracefully ~ spiritually. I highly recommend this book for students in grades 6-8. It will expose students to a phenomenal multicultural novel that instantly brings the setting and culture alive while endearing the reader to a character that is steeped in the complexities of coming-of-age.

The Tequila Worm tells the story of a young and intelligent Mexican American schoolgirl, Sofia, growing up in McAllen, Texas. Sofia comes from a close family with many traditions- from making Easter cascarones to celebrating quinceañeras. Sofia is accepted to a boarding school in Austin, Texas, three hundred and fifty miles away from her home, but she struggles to leave her family even though she longs to go this new school.
I enjoyed this book very much. This book was both amusing and touching. For example, Sofia tells the story of Easter celebration with all her relatives. As part of the celebration they all find hidden cascarones (hollowed eggs that had been decorated and stuffed with things such as confetti) and smash them on each other's heads. Sofia saves a special egg for her cousin, Berta, which she has filled with flour. Berta also has a special egg for her cousin, an egg filled with mustard. Little does Berta know, but Sofia's younger sister Lucy also has a special egg.

As I kicked the air and swiped at the yellow gobs on my hair, face, and stinging eyes, I could hear Berta's big fat laugh.
Then- silence! There was Berta with real egg running down her hair and face, mixing with the flour. She was spitting and glaring at someone.
I turned to see Lucy smiling from ear to ear, no longer holding her secret egg. (Canales 25)

From this book I learned more about Mexican- American traditions and culture. Some aspects of Mexican- American culture that this book touches on are celebrating Día de los Muertos, quinceañeras (the American equivalent of a "Sweet Sixteen" only it is celebrated when a girl is fifteen), religion, and Mexican- American cuisine.
This is a terrific book, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to get a glimpse at Mexican- American culture or just a good read. (Viola Canales uses simplistic language so it is not a very strenuous novel or difficult to read.)

Sofia, a Mexican-American girl from the Rio Grande Valley town of McAllen, Texas, studies while her best friend dreams of her quinceanera. To achieve her dream of attending the private academy that has awarded her a scholarship, Sofia needs $400, five new dresses, and her mother's permission. Although each of these tasks seem individually insoluble to her, through their accomplishment, she learns the value of having good comadres-and being one.

The reader will follow the story of a young Sofia and cousin Berta from first communion, to Day of the Dead celebrations, and finally to Berta's quinceanera, after which Sofia exits for her private school and new experiences there. The charm, though is in the details of the quiet moments depicted with Sofia's family--telling stories from the storyteller's bag, cleaning pinto beans, and discussing the problems of the day at the sobremesa-and the excellent characterization. The reader can't help but smile at Tia Petra and her penchant for plastic, or at Sofia's bafflement of Berta's newfound enjoyment of sappy charro movies, but mild amusement is not the only emotion that will be provoked during the course of this read. Tequila Worm touches on the reality of death at various points of the story at different levels of reaction, and the reader should not be surprised to learn that this is a build-up to the climax and greatest lesson of the novel as a whole.

The loosely woven chapters of The Tequila Worm are chronological, but can stand alone with their individual lessons of life with family and friends in the small Texas town of McAllen. Canales shows off excellent story-telling skills in this almost-autobiography. Sofia and the other characters feel authentic, and fresh, presenting a neighborhood life that may rarely exist outside of fiction for many of the target audience of grades six to nine. Although holding special appeal for readers of Mexican-American descent, this book has the capacity to entertain and teach a lesson in understanding one's own self to many readers, regardless of their previous experience with Mexican traditions.

It has all the ingredients for a really good tale: prison, corrupt G-man, good cop, believable scenario. I enjoyed it and read it in one sitting.

I received this book as a Christmas gift and I could not put it down. It truly would make an "action-packed" movie. Characters were realistic and believable. Fantastic Writing.

I received this book as a Christmas gift and I could not put it down. It truly would make an "action-packed" movie. Characters were realistic and believable. Fantastic Writing.

My daughter gave me this book for Christmas and what a great book it is. I literally read it in one sitting! It really should be a movie. I know I'd go see it. My husband is reading the book now and he NEVER reads and he is loving it.

I received this book as a Christmas gift and I could not put it down. It truly would make an "action-packed" movie. Characters were realistic and believable. Fantastic Writing.

Since moving to Texas, I've been puzzled by some 'odd' behavior by friends. Now I GET IT. This book is hilarious, well-written, and absolutely on target.

As a new Texan, and yes a Yankee Chick, I found this book extremely helpful. I understand my new adopted state a little better, but I understand how different I may appear to my new found friends due solely to this book. Thanks to my best friend up North for buying this book for me as a going away present. I read it on the way here on the plane, I could not put the book down. It is time again for me to read it... it's that good.

I'm contemplating a move to Texas, and this book is just what I needed. It's funny, the author is charming and the info is perfect. As a native Californian, I really had no idea what to expect from Texas, but after reading this, I think I do. It seems like everything is different in Texas, from customs to state pride to guns to food, and it would be easy to be confused. It would be great if someone could write this book about every state in the nation. I think we'd all understand each other better.
I also think this would be a great gift to give someone who has moved to Texas in the past five years or so. It's really funny.

This should be required reading for any Yankee Chick moving to Texas as well as any one who embraces the many cultural differences that make this country great. Ms. Dembling's insight and sharp wit had me laughing out loud many times and I don't even live in Texas or the South; I'm just a Yankee Chick living up North in Yankee land. Before reading this delightful book (which I read on a lark during a biz trip to Dallas) I had no interest in Texas, but now - hell, I think I'd like to plan a vacation there, perhaps find my self some good old boys to hang out with! Her pride in being a Yankee Chick and her love of Texas is evident throughout and it translates into a sincerity that makes this book so special. Hurry, buy this book!!!!

The book was well-thought out and researched. It explained parts of Texas and attributes of Texans never explained publicly so well before. I recognized myself in it, I must confess.

She needs to write "The Texan Guide to Yankeeland". Now that would be very useful to us 5 remaining Native Texans in the whole state.

This is one of the best action adventure books I have ever read. The story takes off from page one and the action never stops. I think the Texas Rangers are great.

This book is a well written, well researched story about a Texas Ranger and his family during the Civil War and post Civil War Texas. From first page to last, I couldn't put "Call To Glory, The Life and Times of a Texas Ranger" down and recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading western and Civil War stories. The realistic dialogue brings the characters to life and takes the reader back to an exciting era in American History.

Reading "Call To Glory" must be done slowly and deliberately to feel the full impact of the story. I read the story slowly so that I could absorb and truly feel the emotions felt by the main characters in the story.

There are no punches pulled. It is very graphic in the description of the cruelness in fighting a war or Indians, and how men are reduced to the level of animal cunning in an effort to survive.

The sadness and loneliness felt by the women left behind compounded the problems for the men who left for war or Ranger duty. The women were struggling to operate a farm and care for a family while the men struggled to survive the daily challenges with the constant worry of the welfare of the family back home.

The authors brought out the qualities and strong fibers of the main characters which helped them endure the calamities of life and setting a gauge for others to follow.

"Call To Glory" should be made into a movie as it ranks in quality with "Gone With The Wind" and "Lonesome Dove."

Ramiro "Ray" Martinez
Retired Sergeant Texas Rangers Co. "D"

Reading "Call To Glory" must be done slowly and deliberately to feel the full impact of the story. I read the story slowly so that I could absorb and truly feel the emotions felt by the main characters in the story.

There are no punches pulled. It is very graphic in the description of the cruelness in fighting a war or Indians, and how men are reduced to the level of animal cunning in an effort to survive.

The sadness and loneliness felt by the women left behind compounded the problems for the men who left for war or Ranger duty. The women were struggling to operate a farm and care for a family while the men struggled to survive the daily challenges with the constant worry of the welfare of the family back home.

The authors brought out the qualities and strong fibers of the main characters which helped them endure the calamities of life and setting a gauge for others to follow.

"Call To Glory" should be made into a movie as it ranks in quality with "Gone With The Wind" and "Lonesome Dove."

Ramiro "Ray" Martinez
Retired Sergeant Texas Rangers Co. "D"

Call To Glory: The Life And Times Of A Texas Ranger collaborative written by Michael and Marilyn Gilhuly is an emphatic, gripping historical fiction novel of bravery, heroism, sacrifice, and a proud way of life. Three brothers must fight, first in the civil war and later putting on the silver badge of a Ranger to protect the innocent against the perils of the frontier. Call To Glory is an exciting Texas western from first page to last!

Having read several books about the Chosin Campaign, I was pleased to finally get the story of what occurred on the East side of the reservoir. Mr. Appleman exaustingly found the details through official Army and Marine combat reports as well as listening to the survivors of this tragic event. The 31st RCT was doomed almost before they started and poor weather, traffic jams, raw Korean recruits, bad luck and command mistakes caused its demise. The Soldiers fought bravely and tenaciously but being out-numbered by as much as 10 to 1 was just too much to overcome.
The author has given us a clear, detailed, hour by hour account
of this heroic but heartbreaking episode in American military history.

Never served. I've read plenty of war stories telling of brave men though. This story of the Army's fight trying to get back from the east side of the Chosin Reservoir is the saddest story I've ever read.

Bad plan. Frigid weather. Four straight days and nights under attack in the cold. No help available. Get back on your own, guys. Frostbite. All out of bandages, gasoline, ammunition. Then death in the cold cold night so close to getting back.

I've read this book twice and it effected me even more the second time.

skwirl60646@yahoo.com

I've read a lot of military history over the years, though I'm definitely not as well-read as some. This book and the others in Appleman's Korean War series really helped me understand small unit operations. They can be dry and a little tough going, but if you give them a chance you may discover a side of battle often overlooked. Making great use of original after action reports as well as interviews and the more common types of sources, Appleman reminds us that (unlike the movies) often ammunition and rations run out and what happens when they do. (Real men have to be sent to get more.) He shows us how and why troops are moved from one nondescript hill to another. (Almost never due to command brilliance.) And better than anyone else he shows us how great battles are built up from squad and platoon actions.

You may lose track of which regiment "L Company" is a part of, but you will come to care what happened to L Company.

A very engrossing account. Despite the level of detail on the geography, personnel and their units it holds your attention. Also provides comment on areas of uncertainty over what actually happened. One of the most successful books on warfare in putting you there - to the point where it was difficult to read ( in this case an indication of the author's success ). One really sensed the isolation of the units and the desperate situation in which they found themselves. Recommended.

I've long been very familiar with the 1st Marine Division's history at the Chosin, but until I read Roy Appleman's book I didn't realize just how much I didn't know about the Army's side of the conflict. This tale of desperation and bravery should be required reading amongst all American service personnel and perhaps even in High Schools. Excellently written, this book holds your attention despite the huge amount of very detailed geographic and unit data presented.

I have owned this cookbook for over 10 years and it is my favorite and most used. Well written and easy to follow, the Texas Border Cookbook demonstrates many of the classic Texas recipes including salsas, guacamole, chili (5 different variations), enchiladas and chicken fried steak. If you enjoy southwestern food this cookbook should be in your collection.

There are a lot of cookbooks out there purporting to be "Tex-Mex". Most of them are charlatans. This is the Real Deal. When I was a kid, my mom even made "Texas Trash" for when company was coming over. She would always tell me, "Just don't tell them what it's called". Of course, the company loved it, as did I. She also made just about everything else in this book. This is what I grew up on. About the only thing she wouldn't make were Tamales, they are a "PITA" to make without help, a point mentioned in this book, she would buy them pre-made. If you like or want to learn Tex-Mex, "This is the one !". Authentic Tex-Mex !

This is an outstanding cookbood and easy to use. Every recipe I've made has turned out great and wow's my family and friends. I put it in my top three most frequently used cookbooks.

This is a great cookbook that is more New Mexican/ Border in flavor than Tex-Mex. The red enchiladas are so good. I usually make them twice a month for my family. I have made almost every recipe in this book and every one has been a winner.

One of my most used cookbooks - since I am in "the land of bland" I have to rely on this more than ever. Of special note is the grits recipe - a real winner for any brunch.

A jaw dropping remarkable ressurection of one of th the most sacred sights on American soil.

This is further proof that the campaign to support the rebuilding of the Alamo as it was then in it entierty should full steam ahead and Mark Lemons work lay the foundations.

Im sorry, I cant say anything that would do justice to this work, except Thank You Mark Lemon, Thank You.

I received the book in the mail yesterday afternoon and immediately plunged into it. I stayed up through the night last night, pouring over each page, comments, photos, art and all. I finally set it down around 10am this morning, having gone from cover to cover.

I tried to wrap my head around the sheer volume of effort that Mr. Lemon must've put into researching this book and it seems utterly intimidating to me.

This is precise scholarship and exquisite art in one simply superb package.

If you are looking for a complete detailed description of the Alamo fortress - this is it ...Great

I HAVE BEEN AN ALAMO FAN ALL OF MY LIFE. I HAVE ALMOST EVERY BOOK AND ALAMO MOVIE EVER MADE IT SEEMS. THIS IS A TREMENDOUS BOOK. FOR A VIEW OF THE ALAMO COMPOUND YOU CANNOT DO BETTER THAN THIS BOOK. WELL DONE. IT'S ABOUT TIME. FOR THE ALAMO EXPERT, HISTORY FAN OR SOMEONE WHO WANTS A VIEW OF THE ALAMO AS IT ACTUALLY LOOKED AT THE TIME OF THE BATTLE THIS IS YOUR BOOK. OH FOR THE RECORD NOT ALL OF THE ALAMO DEFENDERS WERE SLAVE OWNERS THEY WERE MOSTLY MEN DEFENDING THEIR LIBERTY. IT WAS ALSO NOT A RACE WAR IT WAR A CIVIL WAR. REMEMBER THE ALAMO. AND I STILL THINK THAT DAVID CROCKETT WENT DOWN SWINGING.

I seldom enter Amazon reviews but this book so far exceeded my expectations I had to put up a 5 star review. There is nothing I can add to the very good reviews already posted - if you have even a passing interest in the Alamo or Texas history you will be entranced by this book. A steal at the price.

Orphans' Nine Commandments
"Through three orphanages and many foster homes, through tears and humor, the author is a survivor. His story is interesting historically as well as personally and shows the resilience of the human spirit.
This moving memoir will hold teen's attention...." School Library Journal. December 1, 2007.
Ellen Bell, Amador Valley High School, Pleasanton, CA.

"The Orphans' Nine Commandments" by William Holman reflects a spirit so strong and knowing that everyone reading it will be inspired by the grace and honesty shared. Not only those outside of the adoption circle but everyone who was ever a child will respond to the quality of this book. Compassion is one of the most human abilities. May this wonderful book plant seeds of compassion in all who read it.
Touched by Adoption

The Orphans' Nine Commandments is a wonderful book. My daughter took a
copy to her son's sophomore English teacher asking her to share Roger
Bechan's odyssey with her students. She thinks it would encourage kids
who have a rough start . . . to persevere . . . and become successful.
Perhaps then other English teachers in the U.S., and perhaps the world,
will put it on their recommended reading list. That is how important
I think this book will become.
Mrs. Elaine Blackstock. Clearwater, Fla

Taken by his mother when he was six years old to an orphanage and dropped off without warning never to see or hear from her again, William Holman brings the 1930's depression era in Oklahoma to vivid life. His descriptions of the hard times as well as the simple pleasures of growing up in that time and place without a family that he longs for are poignant, spirited and funny. The situations and characters who influence his life through the years will infuriate as well as warm your heart. Despite his rough beginnings the boy succeeds in life eventually becoming the director of the San Francisco Libraries. He marries a wonderful woman and creates a family of two sons. While he never sees his mother again, he does discover who his father was and meets his half siblings. Holman's story has a fine ending but its his journey that makes it so good.

An outstanding glimpse into a life that should have been much different considering its beginnings. This book will make you laugh, make you cry, and cause you to thank your lucky stars. Hard to put down until reaching that last page.

This is a great summer-reading book, fast-paced and clever. Well worth the price. Hope there are more!

When I finished the book I didn't know what to do. I wanted to find out more about Clay Parker, the protagonist , as well as the bizarre characters that inhabit this small Texas town. Having moved to this small town from the big city after disappointment in his personal life, he discovers that he landed in a Fellini movie. Well, maybe "Jenks" (town) isn't quite the insane asyllum of Fellini world, but it is nuts!

I didn't want to put the book down until I had finished it. I laughed out loud a couple of time, which I don't usually do. Actually chuckled about the book even after I had finished it. Just a fun ride. I may be forced to read it again unless the author publishes another book soon.

I highly recommend the book to anyone wishing to escape the perfunctoriness of this world for a few hours. To Austin, please publish another book as soon as possible.

This debut crime novel just came out, and the title is from Oliver Wendell Holmes: "Lawyers spend a great deal of time shoveling smoke." The cover picture gives you a good idea of the kind of humor this book is full of. It's the story of a burnt-out Houston tax lawyer who heads to small town Jenks, Texas, to escape the rat race. Quirky Southern characters, bizarre plot twists and outrageously funny situations abound in Austin Davis' first novel.

"Shoveling Smoke" is Texan Austin Davis's first novel, and it is a doozy. As a Texan myself, I'm always leery of books (and films) set in Texas, because all too often they devolve into a rousing game of "laugh at the silly hicks." Fear not in this case, as Davis's novel, I'm thrilled to say, brings the laughs while refusing to reduce characters to caricatures.

The plot is deceptively simple: Big-city (Houston) tax attorney decides to move to a firm in the backwoods and escape the rat race; cue wacky rural hijinks. So how does Davis take this overdone stranger-in-a-strange-land storyline to another level? With good old-fashioned whip-smart writing, that's how. The dialogue crackles with cleverness, and it's an authentic clever, not some contrived ain't-they-a-hoot nonsense. Hilarious rural-speak flows from these characters so naturally you can hear the voices in your head, and Davis presents that speech almost reverently, as evidence of wit and command of language, never as ignorance. The pacing is spot on throughout. And as far as the plot goes, Davis doesn't simply walk the line between the hysterically unexpected and the ridiculously unbelievable, he redraws it. As wild as some of the circumstances get in this novel, I never felt the tightrope of verisimilitude wobble beneath me; I believed every word.

In addition, I was surprised, nasty old cynic that I am, to catch myself grinning on more than one occasion while reading this book. Sure, there were moments when I laughed out loud, but even a crappy book can get a zinger in here and there, so that's not necessarily a high compliment. But to discover yourself smiling with no knowledge of how long you've been doing it? That is something special. I am not just impressed by Davis but grateful to him, for I was having a bit of a downer week and reading his book was like having someone snatch a handful of sunshine and toss it to me.

Get this book and catch some of that sunshine for yourself.

Houston Lawyer Clay Parker moves to the East Texas town of Jenks to go to work for the Chandler and Stroud law firm. This is a firm infamous for representing horse thieves, shady businessmen and crooks of every stripe. Chandler is a gravitationally challenged (PC for fat) man who never met a good looking woman he didn't like and Stroud has a fondness for the drink. Clay, the new blood, winds up knee deep in questionable and barely legal tactics to get their clients off. Jenks maybe be a Texas backwater of a town, but there are plenty of big city laughs in this story.

If you didn't know there was going to be humor here when you saw the cover of this book, a horse's patooty with its tail stiff and flying in the breeze, then you got bricks between your ears. This book will make you laugh. There is quite a bit of suspense here too. Laughter and suspense, what a terrific combination.

Having been born in the first third of that century, and having worked with buckaroos that were contemporaries of Hewey Calloway, I couldn't get enough of Kelton's continuation of The Good Old Boys. He had to know those men who had a difficult time walking down a sidewalk but sat in a saddle like it was a rocking chair. They really existed! I wonder if Hewey would have carried a cell phone, or what he would think of Interstate 10? I thank Elmer for letting us revisit Hewey and Miss Renfro to see how things worked out. This book is wonderful

What a great book. It is the story of part of the life of Hewey Calloway. One of the last of the true cowboys. He hates to see cars, trucks and telephone lines. He is, I think, really what most of the cowboys were like. It is not full of gun fights and running from the sheriff. He is a hard working man that moves on when he feels like it. A real good story. Has places that are sad and many places that will make you smile. The ending is very good. I just got a happy feeling from reading the book. Makes me wish I had been Hewey Calloway.

This western story is from the point-of-view of a veteran cowboy, Hewey Calloway. It is not exactly the story of his but more the story of the changes that occured during his life. A big one was the advent of the automobile, it greatly decreased the use of horses. Society changed during his life also, more people got involved with industry. It is disturbing to Hewey thinking about cowboy's becoming extict. But Hewey Calloway keeps the tradition alive. Hewey continues to learn more about life and learns to live with regret of decisons that he made earlier in his life.

Like "The Pumpkin Rollers", this is probably the best western I have ever read. It is also a contender for the best book ever read. Hewey Calloway and Spring Renfro are the greatest. What a powerful ending! Also, the other characters that are great are Peeler, Skip Harness, who dies when he is gored by a bull (very sad), Walter and Eve, Tommy, Cotton, Fat, and the list goes on. This is a wonderful book!

Mr. Kelton is from, and writes about, my hometown of San Angelo, Texas. He has a talent for seeing the past in vivid detail (I don't think he's a contemporary of Hewey), an understanding of Native Americans equal to Larry McMurtry's, an eye for modern life in West Texas, and a fine sense of humor (characters like Snort Yarnell). Good work, Elmer; hope to see you in the coffee shop of the Cactus Hotel someday!